Kal:El Reborn
by Twitchboy
Summary: This does not follow on from any Superman movie, series, book or other. This is just my attempt at a story and as I love superman it just happens to be about him lol. Please read and Review. My first ever attempt at writing.
1. Chapter 1

**Kal - El****: Reborn**

**Chapter 1**

The elevator door opened and out walked an aged man carrying a briefcase in his left hand. Sweat dripped off his forehead and he wiped it with a tissue he had taken from his pocket. He stood in the long hallway staring at the white door which lay ahead of him. Nervously he walked up to it and eyed the LexCorp logo emblazoned on its frame. He knocked. Silence. He knocked again listening intently for the welcome of the person on the other side. It never came. He reached for the handle slowly asking himself whether he should just go in. As his fingers gripped around the handle, the door automatically opened before him. He walked straight in. Although nervous and maybe even scared to death of what may happen tonight in this office, he had told himself all day not to show fear towards the man he was about to meet. As he entered this office he noticed how spacious it was, how rich it looked with suits of armour from different ages standing in each corner. His eyes wandered around, marvelling at the extent of how much history was in this room, wandered until they fell upon the man sitting behind the desk that sat in front of the huge glazed windows that showed an amazing view of Metropolis.

"Your late Mr. Weir" said Lex, rising from behind his desk.

"That's Dr. Weir, Mr Luthor and given the seriousness of why I am here I think we can overlook the lateness. Don't you?"

"As you wish Dr. Weir" Lex Luthor replied, obviously annoyed that this man had dared speak to him in such a manner, especially after being late for the meeting. "Shall we?" said Lex pointing to the chair at his desk.

Both men sat down at the desk and Dr. Weir placed the briefcase down gently in front of Lex. He opened it and turned it so that Lex could see the contents. Inside were two vials of blood, one was marked 'Luthor Tested' the other said 'Luthor Untested'. Next to the vials were two pieces of rock, one of which was reddish in colour and the other green.

"So this is it, then?" asked Lex. "It's finished?"

"Yes Mr Luthor, this is as far as we can take this with the resources we have had available to us" replied Dr. Weir. "Although initially this is now stage one. I have my best scientists at work on stage two."

"Stage two? You never mentioned anything about stages before Doctor. This was supposed to be a one stage deal. What do you mean? "

"Well, we performed repeated tests on samples of your blood Mr Luthor, but after several weeks we found that although the formula works, once the tests were over the blood simply died."

Lex looked at Dr. Weir for a moment seemingly trying to take in what he had just been told.

"What exactly does that imply Doctor?" Lex asked

The Doctors eyes narrowed in on Lex's

"It means that once the formula has been injected into your blood supply you can never stop taking it. If you do then it will result in your death. Stage two is finding a way of making an antidote, which as I said my scientists are working on as we speak"

The Doctor looked from Lex to the briefcase and back to Lex.

"Mr Luthor I must warn you there are no guarantees that we can come up with an antidote, but we…" Dr.Weir suddenly broke off as Lex stood up from behind his desk.

"Dr. Weir I assure you that you will find an antidote or it will result in your death. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Mr Luthor, Sir." All attempts at showing no fear vanished, and once again he brought out his tissue and mopped his forehead with it.

Lex didn't appear to be notice though as he had taken out the rocks from the briefcase and was studying them very closely. He placed them back into the briefcase and picked up the two vials of blood and opened a secret compartment in his desk and placed them both there.

"Dr. Weir, How soon will the formula work once I have taken it?"

"You will feel drained both mentally and physically for a few days. This is very normal for this type of change on your body and your DNA will need time to adjust. Minutes after your first injection you will feel the process begin to affect you." replied Dr. Weir.

"Excellent. Superman has been missing for months. With this formula I will be able to take his place as the saviour of the city. The World even." Lex appeared to be talking to himself. Ignorant of the fact that Dr. Weir was still sitting at his desk.

"Mr Luthor If you miss one injection the effects will be reversed and there is no going back, even if we come up with an antidote it is still not guaranteed you will ever be the same person again." Dr. Weir said.

"Then I suggest you concentrate all your efforts on coming up with the best antidote my money can make Dr. Weir." Lex replied. "Where is the entire supply of this formula now?"

"It is being delivered to LexCorp as we speak. If all goes to plan it will be here within the hour Mr Luthor"

Lex appeared to think about this for a while then sat down behind his desk and closed the briefcase. He looked at Dr. Weir for a moment before taking out a brown envelope from a draw in his desk. He threw it on the desk towards the Doctor.

"There is a little bonus for you Dr. Weir. I suggest you pick it up and get to working on that antidote. Don't you?"

The Doctor stood up and picked up the envelope. It seemed he was about to say something but thought better of it. He turned and hurried out of the office and back to the lift. Glad to be away from Lex Luthor.

Back inside the office Lex was standing in front of the window looking out at the city of Metropolis.

"Where are you now Superman?" Lex laughed quietly. "Your beloved Metropolis is going to need you now more than ever."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Clark gazed out from the balcony of his apartment thinking about the days when he would be out there flying through the skies and searching for criminals. God how he missed it. What he wouldn't give to do it again. But he couldn't and he knew it. It had taken him six months to get over having no powers. Being human. He kept telling himself it wasn't that bad. He still had his job as a reporter for the Daily Planet. And since telling Lois Lane the truth about who he really was since losing his powers, he had her now too. But it wasn't enough. Everyday he felt helpless knowing that all around the world people were still crying out for Superman. People who needed help. And people who were dying because of one criminal or another. Still nothing he could do about it. Not that he hadn't tried to reverse the effects of the Gold kryptonite of course. He had found a way back to his Fortress of Solitude, but when he got there it was as if it had died. His once beautiful shining home of crystals were now shabby looking pieces of broken glass. He had tried calling out to his father but there was nothing there. The gold kryptonite had removed all of his superpowers forever and with it the fortress was gone too. He had felt lonely until Lois moved in with him. She had given him a new lease on life. She told him time after time it didn't matter, that the world would re-adjust without Superman and he believed her. But every now and then he would find himself on this balcony dreaming of being the superhero he once was. A key turned in the door behind him. Lois. He couldn't let her know that his mind was on Superman again. He walked across the living room towards the the sofa and sat down just as Lois was closing the door. He picked up the remote control and pointed it at the television. He didn't get a chance to switch it on.

"Clark could you give me a hand with these?" Lois called to him. He looked around to where she was standing. In her hands were several bags of shopping. Time was he would have done the shopping himself in a split second. He _had_ to stop thinking like this.

"Sure Lois" Clark said, getting to his feet. He helped her put everything away and sat back down on the sofa. Lois hung up her coat and joined him. Clark picked up the remote control and pointed it at the screen again. There wasn't much on but he didn't seem to notice. Lois noticed something seemed to be bothering Clark though.

"What's wrong Clark? You don't seem yourself" Lois asked him. Clark shifted in his seat thinking of whether to just tell her the truth or lie. No he couldn't lie to her.

"It's nothing major Lois, just going through what exactly happened the night when I, well, you know when Superman lost his powers" Clark said a bit awkwardly. Lois looked at him. "Don't be angry Lois. I know we've been through this. I just, I still want to help all those people out there. Whether or not they have gotten used to Superman being gone or not, they still need him."

"I know Clark. I'm not angry." Lois said to him lovingly. "I miss him too"

Clark looked at her. This was the first time he had heard her say those words. It made him feel much better knowing that Lois was with him just then. That she missed who he was too. He smiled at her. She smiled back. "I love you , Lois"

"I love you too" she said putting her arms around him. "We'll find a way" she whispered quietly into his ear. Clark decided there and then that no matter how bad things got none of it would be his fault. He couldn't bring Superman back. He had tried. That was all he could do. He got up from the sofa and went to get his laptop from the bedroom. Now that Lois was living with him work was a lot easier. Although woking for a newspaper that printed story after story on Superman and the people who needed him had taken it's toll on Clark. So much that he had thought about resigning his position there. Lois however had persuaded him to stay. She told him that leaving the Planet would make him go crazy and she was worried that she would lose him altogether. Clark had thought long and hard about what she had said and decided she was right. To be fair he owed a lot to Lois. He had lied to her for years about who he was and yet she was still here with him now keeping him from throwing everything he had left away. He found his laptop and went back to sit with Lois.

"Lois I've been working on a story that I think you might be interested in. Want to take a look?" Clark asked her.

"Sure Clark. " Lois said to him. Secretly glad that he seemed to have forgotten about Superman for a while. She sat up and took his laptop off him and started to read. She got half way down when she looked up at Clark in shock. "Clark, this story is half way around the world! You would need reporters to fly out there just to get the scoop."

"We need a holiday Lois. I need a holiday." Clark told her. "I need some time away from Metropolis and I think this story might be the answer." Clark looked at her trying to read her face. "What do you think?"

"Well yes we do, but what about the Daily Planet?"

Clark knew fully well that Lois was going to react this way. Lois loved her job, she lived for a story.

"It will still be here when we get back Lois. And theres a story out there so we'll still be working." Clark looked at her. Hopeful. Lois looked at him and laughed.

"Ok Clark. We'll go. But I have a story here that needs finishing first. Deal?"

Clark looked at her and smiled. "Deal."

They both spent the next few hours working on their stories, happy with the thought of a holiday coming up where they'd be able to relax for the first time in what seemed ages. Clark finished first and told Lois he was going to have a shower before they went to bed. He put his laptop down and stood up and suddenly felt very strange. He tried to walk but nothing happened. His entire body had frozen. Lois didn't seem to notice for a while because she was deep in concentration typing away on her laptop. Then she looked up and saw Clark standing there motionless.

"Clark, are you alright?" Lois asked him. Nothing. "Clark?" Still nothing. She stood up quickly and put her hand on his shoulder. He was freezing. Even through his shirt she could feel how cold he was. Worried she shook him a bit. "Clark?" she spoke louder. Still no response. Clark Kent was standing in front of her frozen solid. Unable to speak or move. "CLARK?" Lois shouted at him this time, getting more and more frantic with worry. Nothing came. No sound out of his mouth. No sign that he had heard her at all. She ran to the phone. What could she do? Who could she call. No one else knew that Clark was once Superman. If she phoned a doctor would they find out? Would it make a difference now he has no powers? Lois started crying not knowing what she should do. Then it came to her. Jonathan and Martha Kent. Clark's parents. They knew. She picked up the phone and started dialling. It rang. She turned around to look at Clark and dropped the phone. She screamed. Clark's body was glowing a bright green colour. The colour of Kryptonite. For a split second Clark just stood there glowing green. The next thing that happened would never leave Lois' memory. Clark screamed out in pain. Not just the type of scream where you hurt yourself. This kind was unbearable to hear. Whatever was happening to Clark was killing him. Lois ran to Clark, but before she got to him, he rose off the ground, the green glow getting brighter. He was in so much pain he hadnt stopped screaming and the look on his face was too much for Lois to handle.

"CLARKKKK" She screamed at him. He suddenly looked at her. He forced his hand towards her. The next second he was gone. Lois stared at where he was just a second ago. Confused. Scared to death. She didn't understand what had just happened. She didn't know what to do. She fell to the floor, crying. The phone was beside her. Someone was on the other end of the line shouting Lois' name, but she never heard it. Her world had just fallen apart. She had a million questions running through her head, shouting to be answered. Screaming at her to tell them what just took place. She didn't have an answer. Superman was gone. She had managed to get through that. But now, Clark was gone too.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Jonathan Kent stood up and scanned his surroundings as if he had never been there before. He had of course many a time but today with a feeling of emptiness inside him, he felt lost. He had been sitting in the foyer of the Daily Planet for what seemed like hours, watching people walk in and out of the building. To anyone walking past it looked as though he was waiting for someone to join him, but the truth was he didn't even know why he had come here, especially alone. Maybe he should have listened to Martha and gone to the church with her and Lois, but he couldn't do it. Couldn't allow himself to believe it, not yet. Instead he had decided to go for a walk to clear his head, give himself time to think things through.

After leaving Martha with Lois that morning he had intended to find a park, sit down and go over what had happened in the last week through his head, however he found himself in front of the Daily Planet, staring up towards the roof where the Planets Globe was slowly spinning around way above streets below it. Now here he was inside the foyer preparing himself to go see where Clark Kent, his son, had worked so hard to become part of Metropolis' finest ever reporting duo. Tears started rolling down his cheeks as he turned towards the elevators. He felt a wave of sadness and grief start to overcome him, it took all his strength to push it aside as he stepped inside an elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.

He was quite thankful he was the only person to occupy the lift until the doors opened at the top and a few people walked in as he was stepping out. He knew this building quite well having been here so many times before and headed straight for the stairwell that led up to the roof. As he walked the last few steps he had a sudden memory of when Clark had brought him and Martha here for the first time about two weeks after getting a job working as a junior reporter. It had seemed like yesterday but of course it had been six years ago. He forced his mind to clear again and opened the door in front of him. As he stepped out onto the concrete roof he noticed straight away that three wooden benches that he had never seen before were now occupying one end of the roof and so walking with that empty feeling inside him again, he headed towards them and sat down. He pulled out his wallet and took out a photo of a much younger version of himself with a smiling boy of about twelve years old.

He remembered back to when the photo was taken by Martha on their farm back in Smallville. How innocent and carefree his son Clark had been. Why now? He had no answer. So many questions had floated around in his head but yet no one had been able to tell him any of the answers he had yearned for. He thought of Lois and tears streamed down his face again. She had phoned the farm just a week before, hysterical and unable to speak through her screams and tears. It had taken almost an hour to make out what she was trying to tell him, Clark had frozen, screamed out in pain, bright lights had engulfed him and he disappeared in front of her.

It had not made any sense to him then and it still didn't now but he and Martha had left for Metropolis early hours of that morning and arrived at Lois' apartment to find her still numb with shock and unable to make much sense. Martha, scared and confused, Lois in shock and with no one to turn to, Jonathan had carried on in disbelief as if nothing had happened. He had called the Planet and told them Lois was sick and made arrangements on the phone for a neighbour to look after the farm while he and Martha stayed at Lois' until something brought Clark back to them.

Three days of waiting, hoping and even praying brought nothing but tears. None of them had been able to do anything but wait, no one else had known about Clark's secret identity, so there was no one they could ask for help. So they had waited. Four days after Clark had disappeared, a knock on the door had brought the terrible news that Clark's body had been found. Two of Metropolis' police officers had explained that a truck driver had found a body in the road and had recognised him from his photo in the newspaper. Martha had sat down and was trying to calm Lois. The officers words had not sunk in until Jonathan identified the body and standing over his son he had finally become a broken man. He had cried until tears could no longer stream down his face.

To keep themselves busy Lois and Martha had thrown themselves into arranging Clark's funeral, not stopping to think about why or even how it had been possible that Clark Kent, who until only six months before had been a God amongst Men. A superhero with extraordinary powers, a man who could only be killed by Kryptonite, a meteorite from his home planet of Krypton, was now dead. Jonathan accepted that they knew Clark had been human now and could die, but the events leading to his death drew Jonathan to believe all was not right. It should have been all three of them believing it. He felt a sudden anger for his wife and daughter in law, but it passed almost as quickly as had engulfed him. He understood deep down that none of them would ever accept Clark was really dead. Not Lois, not Martha or anyone who had ever known his special son. To dwell on it would tear them apart, but not he, not Jonathan Kent. He would not stop until he knew how what really happened.

And so now here, exactly one week after Clarks' disappearance why had he found himself sitting on the roof of the Daily Planet? He slipped the photo back into his wallet and stood up. He knew there was only one person in the whole world who might know something. Lex Luthor. Only whether Lex knew something or not about Clark's disappearance or death, tonight he would have justice for his son and make Lex suffer for all his wrongs. Jonathan Kent was going to kill Lex Luthor and didn't give a damn about what happened afterwards. And with that thought still spinning in his head he walked through the door and down the stairwell.


End file.
